Pouch area marker for pouch packaging machines



Aug. 22, 1961 F. M. WILLBRANDT POUCH AREA MARKER FOR POUCH PACKAGINGMACHINES Filed Oct. 23, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INENTOR. Era/7A7? W.VW//"cwd/ 1961 F. M. WlLLBRANDT 2,996,860

POUCH AREA MARKER FOR POUCH PACKAGING MACHINES Filed QCC. 23, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

\ Fro/74777 M W/flb/"anaf ATTO/FA/[X MARKER L FOR "P011611 MACHINESFranklin M; Willbrandt, Battle Creek, Mich., nssignor to Battle CreekPackaging Machines, Inc., Battl"Creek,

This invention relates to improvements in article area -.;n 1arker forpackaging machines. 'I'he principal objects ctth i v ntiqn ar First, toprovide mechanisminterconnectablewith and .tdrivemby the sealingmechanism of an article packaging machine which will place avisibleindicia mark of subv.stantially equallength at equal but variablyspaced posi Htions along the lengthof the webof wrapper material beingdelivered to the loading area of the machine ,to

indicate the proper placement areas for articles to h be packaged.

Second, to provide article space indicating means for a ,packa i gm ch eh ch s i expens tqcqnstr c a justable for VaI'10l 1S size articles and.webs and operable wit ot ranspare t n paqu e o wrapp q m 'Otherobjectsand advantages of'the invention willbe appa m. a on deratio .o 't e .fcow n escr p o d.jclai ms. The drawings, of whieh th ere are two'sheets,illustrate a highly practical form of theinvention.

FIG. 1 is afragmentaryside elevational view ,of a

pa'ckaging machine with the pouch area marking mechanism of theinvention applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the opposite side of themachineufrom that shown in FIG. '1.

"FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view through the driveconnection to the pouch area marking mechanism taken along the plane ofthe line'3'3' in FIG, 4.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged elevational view of the pouch areamarking drive cam appearing in FIG. 1.

successively between two webs of wrapping material.

One web, usually the bottom one, is fed along a loading way to receiveand advance thearticles at spaced inter- -vals. "The other web is fedinto lapped relation to'the articles and the first web and sealmeansthen seal the side edges of the webs together and seal transverselyacross the webs between the articles. T It is important and mandatorythat the articles be properly spaced on the webs because the crosssealing means operate automatically and if an article is out of positionthe crossseal means will strike and damage the article or the sealingmember or both. This-is especially true when-,- as-is common, the crossseal means includes a knifeto sever the web into separate packages.

FIG. 1 illustrates in more or less: conventional form a pouchpackagingmachine having-a'loading-way; 1--with a conveyor belt 2 for advancing abottom web 3 of-wrapping material from a supply roll 4. Storageplatforms '5 and 6 are supported on opposite. sides of the way and theplatform 6 is laterally adjustableon-"slides 7- tom:-

commodate webs of ditferentwidths. The conveyor delivers to sealingmechanism enclosed between the-side walls- 8.

"The sealing mechanism includesa support 9 for. a-roll 10-oftheuppervwrappenweb :11. Areguide roll 12 leads 2,996,860 Patented Aug.22, 19.61

. the upper web to thebite of feed rolls 13 that simultaneously draw inand seal together the side dges of the two-webs 3.and 11. The sealingrolls 13 arespacd wadjustably transversely apart on the drive shafts.14and 15 and form a pouch in which the articles 16 suchas the piston ringsillustrated. are enclosed. Sealing is. accomplished by heat or pressureor both depending .uponthe character of the webs. After the sides of thepouch have been sealed they are directed between a pair-ofoscillatingarms 17 having a bottom seal bar 18 supported therebetween below theadvancing webs. The arms are vertically slotted to receive the crank pin19- on the wheel 20 that oscillates the arms .and to slidablyreceivelift rods .21 for a top seal bar 22 that oscillates fronttorear-with the bottom seal bar. As stated the seal bars may include knifeedges and/ or heating means not'illustrated.

At their lower ends the arms 17 are supported .upon a rotating disc 23on a shaft24. A cam 25 onthefshaft engages and actuates a follower roll26 securedtothe lift rods 21. (See FIG. 3.) The lift rods thus lower thetop cross seal bar 22 into sealing relation with the bottom seal bar 18once each revolution of the shaft 24 while the bars oscillate to keepthem in horizontal registry with the advancing webs. It willbeappreciatedthat duplicate arms 17 and lift rods 21 are provided ateach side of the machine.

- gear train 28. The gear train 28 is adjustable on the piate 29 topermit changing gears to change the speed of the conveyor 2. A chain orbelt 30 drives the gear train from asuitable speed reduction gear 31 andmotor 32. The drive for the feed rolls 13 .is on the backside 9f themachine in FIG. 2 and extends through the gear train 33 and chain 34 tothe same shaft 35 that drivesthe gear train 28. The gear train 33 isadjustable on' the plate 36 to permit the peripheral speed of the feedrolls 13 to be adjustably matched to the lineal speed ofthe conveyor 2.

The drive to the crank wheel 20 and crank pin 19 is through a chain 361to the gear train 37 on the backside of the machine in FIG. 2. The geartrain 37 may include elliptical gears (not illustrated) to properly timethe oscillating motion of the pin 19. A chain 38 drives the sprocket 39from the gear train and the sprocket drives the shaft on which the crankwheel is mounted. A chain 40 drives an off-feed conveyor 41 thatreceives and carries away the packaged articles 16 from the cross seal22 and cutoff knife.

The foregoing structure is old and is described only to point out thatthe lineal speed of the loading or iri-feed belt 2 can be varied withrespect to cycle of operation of the transverse seal mechanism toprovide long or short pouches. Regardless of the length of the pouches,the transverse seal and cut-oil area should be about the same foreconomy of the wrapping webs and the length of -the packages formed. Thearticles being wrapped must be The rock shaft and a coaxial stub shaft42A on thebaek of the machine rockably support arms 43 with squarednotches 44 in their end. The notches non-rotatab'ly-receive squared endson a cross bar 45 that lies in frontcf the in-feeding lower web 3 wherethe web passes over guide rolls 46 and 47. A platten 48 supports theweb.between the guide rolls. Adjustably mounted on the cross bar forangular and longitudinal adjustment are atplurality of holder blocks 49having holes therein adjustably -..holding frictionz marking devices inthe form of fountain brushes 50 having barrels 51 for holding quickdrying liquid dye and pointed felt tips or brushes 52 for contacting andmarking on the web 3. The rock shaft 42 has a crank arm 53 by means ofwhich the brushes can be moved into and out of contact with the movingweb to make pouch area indicating marks 54. (See FIG. 5.)

- The crank arm 53 is oscillated by a push rod 55 extending rearwardlyto a forked plate 56 supported on a rotating hub or disc 57 on thepreviously described shaft 24. (See FIG. 3.) It will be recalled thatthe shaft 24 makes one revolution for each cycle of the transverse sealmechanism. A crank 58 supports the mid-section of the rod 55 and aspring 59 urges-the rod and the marking brushes 50 toward web markingposition. A two piec e cam havingcam plates 60 and 61 is adjustablymounted on the shaft 24 adjacent the disc 57. The peripheries of the camplates 60 and 61 coact with a follower roll 62 on the forked plate 56and have relatively long dwell portions 63 and relatively shortactuating surfaces '64 of reduced radius. By angularly adjusting one camdisc on the other by means of the screw and slot connection 65 theeffective length of the combined actuating surfaces can be adjusted inlength so that the follower roll 62 and through it the marking brushesare permitted to swing forwardly for adjustable short periods duringeach cycle of the packaging machine. I

The length of the pouch indicating marks 54 is determined by the time ofcontact with the moving web and when the speed of the web is adjustedthe time of contact can be oppositely adjusted by means of the camplates 60 and 61 to get a substantially uniform length of pouch marker.The markers are clearly visable along the loading way 1 and the personsloading the machine have only to place the articles between the marks54. Being on the lower web 3, the marks are-covered by the upper web andobscured if the upper web is opaque. While the article area markingmeans have been disclosed in conjunction with a pouch packaging machinein which the package is formed by sealing a web or webs directly overthe article because the marking means is of particular utility in such amachine, the marking mechanism is of equal utility in any packagingmachine in which the articles to be wrapped are fed into the packagingmechanism on a continuous web of wrapping material.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a wrapping machine having a loading way with an in-feed belttrained therealong, supports for supply rolls positioned to deliverupper and lower wrapper webs to behind and ahead of said beltrespectively with the lower web resting on said belt, feed rollspositioned to simultaneously advance said webs and seal the side edgesthereof together with articles enclosed between the webs at intervals,intermittently actuated transverse seal and shear means positioned toseal said webs together along transverse lines spaced longitudinally ofthe webs and sever the webs into rectangularly sealed packages, andadjustable means for driving said feed rolls and said belt at adjustablyconstant speeds to advance predetermined lengths marking position foradjustably variable periods during each cycle of said seal and shearmeans.

2. In a wrapping machine having a loading way with an in-feed belttrained therealong, supports for supply rolls positioned to deliverupper and lower wrapper webs to behind and ahead of said beltrespectively with the lower'web resting on said belt, feed rollspositioned to simultaneously advance said webs and seal the side edgesthereof together with articles enclosed between the webs at intervals,intermittently actuated transverse seal means positioned to seal saidwebs together along transverse lines spaced longitudinally -of the websinto rectangularly sealed packages, and adjustable means for drivingsaid feed rolls and sans-en at adjustably constant speeds to advancepredetermined lengths of said webs past-said seal means between eachactuation thereof, the combination which comprises a cross bar rockablysupported and swingable toward and away from the face of said lower webbeing delivered to upwardly facing position on said belt, a plurality offriction marking devices adjustably mounted on said cross bar andswingable thereby into marking relation to the upwardly facing surfaceof said lower web, a push rod connected to said cross bar to rock thebar and said. marking devices between marking and non-markingpositions,'a shaft rotated in timed relation to said transverse sealmeans, and a two piece cam rotatably driven by said last shaft andhaving dwell and actuating surfaces that are relatively angularly'adjustable in length, said push rod having a follower connected theretoand positioned in operative relation to said cam whereby said camandsaid push rod move said marking devices to markingpositio'n foradjustably'variable periods during each cycle of said seal means.

z 3. In combination with a pouch packaging machine having side-sealingmeans and cross sealing means, a loading way positioned ahead of saidside sealing means and adapted to deliver a wrapper web thereto, anddrive means connected to cyclically drive said cross sealing means andcontinuously drive said side sealing means at adjustable lineal speedsof the web, pouch area marking means comprising a plurality of frictionmarking devices mounted in opposed relation to the path of the web beingfed to said way, means connected to move of said webs past said sealmeans between each actuation rock the bar and said marking devicesbetween marking and non-marking positions, a shaft rotated in timedrelation to said transverse seal means, and a two piece cam rotatablydriven by said last shaft and having dwell and actuating surfaces thatare relatively angularly adjustable in length, said push rod having afollower connected thercto and positioned in operative relation to saidcam whereby said marking devices into marking relation with the side ofthe web being delivered face up to said way, an actuating memberconnected to move said last means. and a cam means rotated in timedrelation to said cross seal means and arranged to move said actuatingmember for adjustably variable periods during each cycle of said crosssealing means.

- 4. In combination with a pouch packaging machine having side sealingmeans and cross sealing means, a loading way positioned ahead of saidside sealing means and adapted to deliver a wrapper web thereto, anddrive means connected to cyclically drive said cross sealing means andcontinuously drive said side sealing means at adjustable lineal speedsof the web, pouch area marking means comprising a friction markingdevice mounted in opposed relation to the path of the web being fed tosaid way, means connected to move said marking device into markingrelation with the side of the web being delivered face up to said way,an actuating member connected to move said last means and a cam meansrotated in timed relation to said cross seal means and arranged to movesaid actuating member for adjustably variable periods duringeach cycleof said cross sealing means.

5. In combination with a packaging machine having cross sealingmeans, aloading way with a conveyor positioned' ahead .of said sealing means andadapted to delivera wrapper web thereto, and drive means con nected tocyclically drive saidcross sealing means and continuously drive saidconveyor at adjustable linea'r speeds of the web, article area markingmeans comprissaid cam and said push rod move said marking devi es to (5ing 8 fric ion .devi mou t iilppo d relartion to the path of the webbeing fed to said way, means connected to move said marking device andsaid web relatively into marking relation, an actuating member connectedto move said last means, and means actuated in timed relation to saidcross seal means and arranged to move said actuating member foradjustably variable periods during each cycle of said cross sealingmeans.

6. In combination with a packaging machine having cross sealing means, aloading way with a conveyor positioned ahead of said sealing means andadapted to deliver a wrapper web thereto, and drive means connected tocyclically drive said cross sealing means and continuously drive saidconveyor at adjustable lineal speeds of the web, article area markingmeans comprising a marking device mounted in opposed relation to thepath of the web being fed to said way, means connected to move saidmarking device and said web relatively into contacting relation to marklongitudinally along said web, an actuating member connected to movesaid last means, and means actuated in timed relation to said cross sealmeans and arranged to move said actuating member for adjustably variableperiods during each cycle of said cross sealing means.

7. A packaging machine including an elongated supporting way adapted tosupport a web while it is being translated on the way to receivearticles to be packaged manually positioned thereon, means fortranslating the web upon the way, a web marking device disposed at thefront end of the way in operative relation to the 30 2,321,057

web, a packaging means disposed at the rear end of said way and arrangedto form said web into packages around said articles, and adjustablytimed means for actuating said web marking device for variable periodsand operatively connected to said packaging means whereby the markingdevice is actuated in timed relation to said packaging means to mark theweb at longitudinally spaced points and thereby facilitate thepositioning thereon of the articles to be packaged and translated by theweb to said packaging means.

8. A packaging machine including an elongated supporting way adapted tosupport a web while it is being translated on the way to receivearticles to be packaged manually positioned thereon, means fortranslating the web upon the way, a web marking device disposed at thefront end of the way in operative relation to the web, a packaging meansdisposed at the rear end of said way and arranged to form said web intopackages around said articles, and adjustably timed means for actuatingsaid web marking device for variable periods and in timed relation tosaid packaging means -to mark the web at longitudinally spaced pointsand thereby facilitate the positioning thereon of the articles to bepackaged and translated by the web to said packaging means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,037,825 Salfisberg Apr. 21, 1936 Weiss June 8, 1943 2,655,777 HagenOct. 20, 1953

